There haven't been many moves made around Major League Baseball in the early stages of the offseason, but we saw one earlier in the week when Dylan Cease took a massive seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. That seemed like quite an overpay, but ultimately, the Blue Jays got a very good arm, and the price might not mean a ton if they get back to where they were a year ago.
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, I actually view that as somewhat good news when it comes to someone like Mitch Keller, but Ethan Fisher of FanSided doesn't believe that's the case, adding that because some other teams have made moves, it's possible that there aren't many options for Keller on the trade market.
“And with the Red Sox and Blue Jays both addressing their starting pitching needs in other ways, the list of teams that could take on Keller's salary while providing the Pirates with a worthwhile return is dwindling. The Angels, Mets, Orioles, and Padres may be the best remaining fits. At this point, the Pirates may be best served just holding on to him. He provides stability that they haven't seen from any of their young starters (aside from Skenes), and if it's true that the Pirates actually have some money to spend, then a Keller trade may not be necessary anyway. Maybe that's the route they go if they're serious about taking the next step in 2026,” he wrote.
Ultimately, while I understand what he's saying, I think it's also fair to suggest that Keller doesn't make a lot of money. He's playing on a five-year, $77 million deal and isn't a free agent until 2029.
Is he the same caliber as someone like Cease? Probably not, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he has above-average stuff, and for a lower price, could be just as valuable depending on the season.
Keller is coming off an average year for his sake, posting a 4.19 ERA. That was the second-best he's had in any year he's thrown in more than five games, but he's definitely been better in other parts in recent years.
